Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake
410-396-4804
410-539-0647 (fax)
Room 400, City Hall
CouncilPresident@baltimorecity.gov
Read Council President's Official Swearing-In Remarks
Legislative Initatives
Better Schools, Safer Streets, Stronger Neighborhoods
Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has set a thoughtful and ambitious agenda for the City Council, promoting legislative and policy initiatives that improve people's lives: safe streets, quality public schools, and neighborhoods that are strong, vibrant and engaged. Her father, the late Delegate Howard “Pete” Rawlings taught her the value and sacred trust of public service, impressing upon her that with great power comes great responsibility. As City Council President she has worked to make Baltimore’s government work for its citizens, making the legislative process more open and accessible to all city residents.
In four terms on the City Council, Rawlings-Blake’s many accomplishments include passing laws and initiating policies in a wide range of areas such as public safety, community development, public education, business development, hospitality and tourism and arts and entertainment. Included among her accomplishments are:
Youth and Education
Council President Rawlings-Blake's highest priority is the education of our children, so upon her election, she created the City Council's Education Committee. This committee is dedicated exclusively to addressing the challenges facing the Baltimore City Public School System and exploring innovative solutions to address those needs.
For the past two years, Rawlings-Blake has fought successfully for City funding to support the expansion of the Teach for America program in Baltimore City Public Schools, enabling the school system to double the number of Teach for America teachers in city classrooms over the next two years. Teach for America is a national corps of outstanding recent college graduates who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools. The program has a track record of success in Baltimore and nationwide and is key to progress and reform in Baltimore City Public Schools.
Rawlings-Blake called upon the CEO of the Baltimore City Public School System to develop and implement a program for teachers to provide them with the tools to recognize gang-related violence, to identify youth most at-risk for gang recruitment, and to provide the necessary intervention resources and law enforcement interaction to insure the safety and security of students, school personnel, and school property.
Called upon the school system to develop a “transitional years” intervention program to assist in providing services and proactively engaging incoming students to both middle school and high school, a transition period when at-risk students often become disengaged.
Rawlings-Blake convened a hearing with Baltimore City Public Schools CEO and other school system officials to brief the City Council on principal and teacher vacancies, status of facilities management, progress of capital improvements, and development of a uniform suspension policy.
Neighborhoods and Community Development
Worked on behalf of communities and the Liquor Board to strengthen enforcement and penalties for violators of liquor license regulations in Baltimore, and investigate the legitimacy of establishments claiming to be tavern operations and establishments operating with bottle licenses, protecting our neighborhoods from the effects of irresponsible licensees.
Introduced legislation to improve enforcement of the City's illegal dumping ordinance. Signed into law in June 2009, the legislation provides for stiffer penalties for illegal dumping; creates a hotline for citizens to report dumping violations. The measure also mandates that all city contracts contain an illegal dumping clause, where, if violated, contractors doing business with the City will be considered to be in breach of contract.
Launched and hosted citywide “Baltimore’s Top Neighborhood Moms” and “Baltimore’s Top Neighborhood Dads” contests to allow communities to recognize and honor men and women doing exceptional work to make their neighborhoods better, safer and stronger. Since the event was launched in 2007, Council President Rawlings-Blake has honored over 120 individuals nominated by their communities as "Top Moms and Dads."
In May 2009 City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake joined with the members of Local 710, Laborers' International Union of North America and hundreds of volunteers to help rebuild the children’s Playground at Stadium Place, which had been destroyed by fire in September 2008.
Public Safety
Introduced legislation to mandate pawnshops to report transactions in an electronic database to assist Baltimore City police in recovering stolen property more easily. (See "Solving Property Crimes in the Baltimore Region.")
Rawlings-Blake has urged continued investment in the City’s police CCTV crime camera network in order to support her goal of doubling the number of actively-monitored crime cameras by 2015. Rawlings-Blake has called for the use of homeland security and criminal justice grants, asset forfeiture funds and a portion of undesignated surpluses to expand the program by 100 new cameras every year for 5 years.
Encouraged Baltimore Police Commissioner to investigate the possibility of instituting a citywide text messaging system to alert residents and businesses about criminal activity. As a result, Baltimore City Police now send electronic crime alerts via Twitter, Nixle and Facebook.
Called on Baltimore City Public Schools to create a hotline for parents, teachers, and students to report and help prevent violence occurring in Baltimore City Public schools. The City School system implemented the “Student Safety Hotline” 410-396-SAFE in December 2008.
In 2003 Rawlings-Blake introduced legislation creating Baltimore City’s Operation Crime Watch program, which in 2004 received the Governor’s Award for "Outstanding Proactive Crime Prevention Programs in Maryland."
Economic Development
Called on Baltimore Development Corporation to expedite zoning legislation for a video lottery terminal facility to fund education, create new jobs, reduce property tax and fund community revitalization projects.
Helped secure a $1 million grant for Healthy Neighborhoods, Inc., an independent non-profit organization committed to creating more homeownership, improving property conditions rehabilitating homes and building equity for longtime Baltimore working families.
Introduced legislation to enhance Baltimore's arts and live entertainment venues. The bill will allow live entertainment and dancing as a conditional use in certain business districts in the City. The effort grew out of the work of a task force of business and community leaders created in 2007 by Rawlings-Blake to develop strategies to grow Baltimore’s entertainment, cultural and hospitality economy.
Created a Special City Council Committee on Property Tax Relief to examine long-term solutions to Baltimore’s burdensome property tax rate, which has long been the highest in Maryland and more than twice as high as neighboring jurisdictions.
Developed legislative package to create new opportunities for small businesses in city contracts, develop a citywide plan to create 'green collar' jobs in Baltimore and expedite city payments to small businesses for services rendered .